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Baltimore restaurant owner charged with rape

Police said a Baltimore restaurant owner has been charged with raping a customer in the bathroom of his restaurant.

Police have charged 29-year-old Matthew Lasinski with raping a female patron on New Year's Day at the Blue Agave restaurant in the popular Federal Hill section of the city.

According to the restaurants' web page, Lasimski became a co-owner of the place on March 13, 2012, but state records don't reflect that.

According to police, the victim had an argument with her boyfriend New Year's Eve. She left their location around midnight in search of something to eat and ended up at the Blue Agave.

The kitchen wasn't open. Police said she had drinks at the bar.

The victim alleges during a visit to the women's restroom Lasimski sexually assaulted her and stopped after another patron walked in. That individual, police confirm, put her in a cab and encouraged her to go to the hospital.

Detectives said she stopped by central booking first to file a complaint then went to a local hospital for an exam.

A police spokesman explained that investigators took statements from several witnesses and they are in the process of obtaining a DNA warrant.

Blue Agave's Facebook page posted an anonymous reaction statement. It reads in part, "One of our team members has become the victim of the worst injustice I've seen in my lifetime. We have video, as well as witnesses (unaffiliated to our team), that directly contradict the accuser's allegations. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Hopefully his innocence is proven before the lies ruin us."

Reached by phone, co-owner Brian Acquavella declined to discuss how the video will exonerate Lasimski. He turned the video over to police.

Lasimski previously worked at Mackey's Bayside in Ocean City. He went to Salisbury University, but posts on his Facebook that he has a diploma in inebriation.

Court records reveal he pleaded guilty in 2003 to attempting to drive a vehicle while under the influence and in 2007, pleaded guilty to driving while impaired by alcohol. In both cases, he received probation before judgment.

Electronic court records indicate his next court appearance, a preliminary hearing, is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Lasinski remains in jail.

Copyright 2013 by WBALTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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